Law professors at Cleveland-Marshall are alleging Dean Craig Boise has crossed the line from the merely sarcastic to the outright satanic in issuing $666 raises to professors who were members of a labor bargaining unit.  While others received raises of $5,000 or $3,000, the six professors who were union organizers received the increases that reflected the “sign of the beast.”

The union organizers on the faculty included April L. Cherry ($666), Pamela A. Daiker-Middaugh ($0), Patricia J. Falk ($666), Shledon Gelman ($0), Brian A. Glassman ($0), Karin Mika ($666), and James Wilson ($666). According to the complaint posted by TaxProf, “[i]n effect, Dean Boise has called AAUP’s organizers and AAUP Satan.” The complaint continues:

Dean Boise’s actions are a poorly veiled threat in opposition to AAUP’s organizing and concerted activities. Dean Boise’s manipulation of the merit wage increases provides clear evidence of CM Law’s antiunion animus and CM Law’s retaliation against bargaining unit members for exercising rights to organize and bargain . . .

The professors allege the violation of state labor law, specifically A(1) aND A(3) below:

4117.11 Unfair labor practice.
(A) It is an unfair labor practice for a public employer, its agents, or representatives to:

(1) Interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code or an employee organization in the selection of its representative for the purposes of collective bargaining or the adjustment of grievances;

(2) Initiate, create, dominate, or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, or contribute financial or other support to it; except that a public employer may permit employees to confer with it during working hours without loss of time or pay, permit the exclusive representative to use the facilities of the public employer for membership or other meetings, or permit the exclusive representative to use the internal mail system or other internal communications system;

(3) Discriminate in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment on the basis of the exercise of rights guaranteed by Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code. Nothing precludes any employer from making and enforcing an agreement pursuant to division (C) of section 4117.09 of the Revised Code.

(4) Discharge or otherwise discriminate against an employee because he has filed charges or given testimony under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code;

(5) Refuse to bargain collectively with the representative of his employees recognized as the exclusive representative or certified pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code;

(6) Establish a pattern or practice of repeated failures to timely process grievances and requests for arbitration of grievances;

(7) Lock out or otherwise prevent employees from performing their regularly assigned duties where an object thereof is to bring pressure on the employees or an employee organization to compromise or capitulate to the employer’s terms regarding a labor relations dispute;

(8) Cause or attempt to cause an employee organization, its agents, or representatives to violate division (B) of this section.

Dean Boise (right) insists that the $666 merit award was the result of mathematical division, not a reference to biblical beast. Such coincidences have led to past employment problems from religious employees. These professors appear more concerned with academic retaliation rather divine retribution. It is also unclear how that mathematical division results in an alleged contrast between O or 666 and $5000 in merit increases. Of course, such increases are tied to scholarship and other criteria.